Razorbacks go 1-for-4 in signing day decisions

Arkansas coach Chad Morris speaks to his players as they come off the field against LSU Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018, during the second quarter of play at Razorback Stadium. Visit nwadg.com/photos to see more photographs from the game.

FAYETTEVILLE  Arkansas lost three times and won one football recruiting battle Wednesday in the late signing period for the high school class of 2019.

The Razorbacks received a national letter of intent from running back A'Montae Spivey, but lost a long-time commitment from cornerback Adonis Otey, who signed with Southern Cal. The Razorbacks also lost a pair of recruiting battles for linebackers as Lakia Henry surprised several by signing with Ole Miss and Chris Russell chose Texas A&M.

Arkansas signed four players Wednesday. Three previously-committed players to sign were tight end Hudson Henry of Pulaski Academy, receiver Treylon Burks of Warren and safety Jalen Catalon of Legacy High School in Mansfield, Texas. All three players are rated four-star recruits by ESPN, and Hudson Henry is ranked as the best player at his position.

Arkansas' class is ranked 23rd nationally, 10th in the Southeastern Conference and sixth in the SEC West by ESPN. Ole Miss leapfrogged the Razorbacks with Lakia Henry's afternoon announcement and Mississippi State is just behind Arkansas at 24th nationally.

The Razorbacks have 26 players committed to the class, including quarterback Ben Hicks, a graduate transfer from SMU. Twenty-one players signed with Arkansas during the early signing period in December, and the Razorbacks could sign as many as three more players to the class, if desired.

Spivey, an ESPN three-star recruit who committed to Arkansas last August, wavered after a strong push by Ole Miss late in the recruiting process. But he remained with the Razorbacks to give Arkansas its only running back signee in the class.

Spivey rushed for 1,338 yards and 19 touchdowns last season for Central High School in Phenix City, Ala.

Jerrion Ealy, ESPN's No. 3-ranked running back in the class, announced he was signing with Ole Miss shortly after Spivey signed with Arkansas. Ealy is from Jackson, Miss.

Lakia Henry, who is rated the No. 1 inside linebacker in junior college by ESPN, combined for 187 tackles, including 19 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in two seasons at Dodge City Community College, and also had two interceptions. He is originally from Vidalia, Ga., and previously was committed to Tennessee.

Otey, rated a four-star recruit by ESPN, had been pledged to Arkansas since last August. Receiver Trey Knox, a four-star teammate of Otey's at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., signed with the Razorbacks in December.

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Matt Jones

Matt Jones is the online sports director for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A double graduate of the University of Arkansas, he is a member of the Football Writers Association of America and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and voter for the Heisman Trophy.